There are rumors going around ESPN that Aaron Donald is contemplating a return from retirement to the Rams.
They ran a video of him working out, he stills looks jacked. Imagine Garrett and Donald keying the Rams pass rush.
I'd say the Rams have a pretty clear talent edge at this point. I don't think it's all that close. It used to be close, but not anymore.
They're clearly better than us at nearly every level on offense: QB, RB, WR, etc.
Then, with the obvious clear on their DL/EDGE
But, the biggest gap of talent is at HC.
It's like comparing a Ferrari to a Corolla.
QB, yes but Stafford's end is near
RB, no. Call it a draw because we don't know Bucky's status but when he's with an actual good play caller and healthy line (ie - what the rams have given Williams) he's a better back. Gainwell and Tucker are better than Corum and Rivers.
WRs, yes but only slightly imo. Again put Puka on a different team. He's not a world beater. He's good but all he did was take Kupp's role. And look at Kupp once he leaves. Adams didn't do shit without an elite QB too (Rodgers or Stafford).
TE, both teams full of JAGs
O-line, we are better when healthy
There are rumors going around ESPN that Aaron Donald is contemplating a return from retirement to the Rams.
They ran a video of him working out, he stills looks jacked. Imagine Garrett and Donald keying the Rams pass rush.
I saw a video of him saying he has no interest
I'd say the Rams have a pretty clear talent edge at this point. I don't think it's all that close. It used to be close, but not anymore.
They're clearly better than us at nearly every level on offense: QB, RB, WR, etc.
Then, with the obvious clear on their DL/EDGE
But, the biggest gap of talent is at HC.
It's like comparing a Ferrari to a Corolla.
QB, yes but Stafford's end is near
RB, no. Call it a draw because we don't know Bucky's status but when he's with an actual good play caller and healthy line (ie - what the rams have given Williams) he's a better back. Gainwell and Tucker are better than Corum and Rivers.
WRs, yes but only slightly imo. Again put Puka on a different team. He's not a world beater. He's good but all he did was take Kupp's role. And look at Kupp once he leaves. Adams didn't do shit without an elite QB too (Rodgers or Stafford).
TE, both teams full of JAGs
O-line, we are better when healthy
Bucky trending closer to 1 hit wonder than he is a 1200 yard guy 3 years in a row
Bucky was a dude......in 2024. He struggled even when not hurt in 2025. Offensive line not great so we can chalk it up to that.
He starts this year on the PUP...then what....
not saying he is a 1 hit wonder but another not 1,000 yard year....and straight up disrespect to compare him to Williams
The Rams are definitely ahead of the Bucs in talent but not that far ahead. For the Bucs they need a lot of their young talent to step up to keep pace or stay ahead of the Seahawks, Rams, 49ers, Eagles, Lions, Bears, Vikings, Panthers, Falcons, Cowboys and Commanders. The Saints, Cardinals and the Giants are not far behind either. The Bucs are definitely a tier 2 team while the Seahawks, 49ers and Rams are tier 1 teams.
i'd probably rank it like this
tier 1
1. Rams
2. Seahawks
3. Eagles
4. 49ers
tier 2
5. Detroit - expect a bounce back
6. Chicago
7. Green Bay
8. Tampa Bay
9. Dallas
10. Washington
Tier 3
11. Minnesota
12. Carolina
13. Giants
Tier 4
14. New Orleans
15. Atlanta
16. Arizona
It feels like the Bucs have been a tier 2 team flirting with tier 1 for a while now the last few seasons. I guess with the Rams picking up MG you could leap frog them over Seattle for now. The Eagles I am contemplating dropping them down to tier 2 to the recent trade of Brown. But they did pick up Woolen and Greenard so they should be a tier 2 team still.
The Vikings could ascend into tier 2 again and I think the Panthers are already there with their off season moves already. The Falcons and Saints should be considered a tier 3 teams now with what they showed toward the end of last season and the improvements they made this off season. The Giants I feel should not be a tier 3 team until Harbaugh has one more off season to sort out that roster because they have some big issues with their interior defensive line front right now. So I would bump the Giants down to tier 4 with the Cardinals.
Teams like Seattle and Eagles have won Superbowl's because of their roster. They had modern day Trent Dilfer's at QB. They will be contenders again. Usually you put defending champs at 1 and that division is tough with 49ers also being a tier 1 team, but Rams are offseason champs until proven otherwise.
i think tier 1 is pretty solid with only team i think able to break that barrier would be if Detroit rebounds to where they've been.
Tampa has been exciting to watch post Brady. You may recall we expected shit....so them contending for playoffs is if nothing else, at least entertaining. That being said, they are pretenders under Bowles. Their lone playoff win came against an Eagles team that was spiraling out of control and lost to double digit NYG and ARZ weeks before.
I agree that tier 2, 3 and 4 are fluid. any team can drop or increase but i feel their ceiling outside of DET is tier 2. Green Bay and Chicago talent isnt at the other teams and QB is hot and cold. Dallas held back by GM...but who knows with them. Was washington a fluke?
QB, yes but Stafford's end is near
Okay. But, as of NOW, he's better than Baker.
Not a debate.
RB, no.
If we're talking about the entire room, then sure, I'll agree with you.
If we're talking about RB1, then it is undoubtedly Rams.
WRs, yes but only slightly imo. Again put Puka on a different team. He's not a world beater. He's good but all he did was take Kupp's role. And look at Kupp once he leaves. Adams didn't do shit without an elite QB too (Rodgers or Stafford).
Well, that's the thing. Puka isn't on a different team. He's on the Rams.
And, don't really care about what Adams did with other teams/QB's.
He too, is with the Rams.
So, again, they are better here.
TE, both teams full of JAGs
Agreed. But, one group actually produces (yes, because of the coach)
O-line, we are better when healthy
Agreed.
So, out of those categories, the Rams are better in the overwhelming majority of the categories.
Most importantly, the HC/OC.
QB, yes but Stafford's end is near
Okay. But, as of NOW, he's better than Baker.
Not a debate.
RB, no.
If we're talking about the entire room, then sure, I'll agree with you.
If we're talking about RB1, then it is undoubtedly Rams.
WRs, yes but only slightly imo. Again put Puka on a different team. He's not a world beater. He's good but all he did was take Kupp's role. And look at Kupp once he leaves. Adams didn't do shit without an elite QB too (Rodgers or Stafford).
Well, that's the thing. Puka isn't on a different team. He's on the Rams.
And, don't really care about what Adams did with other teams/QB's.
He too, is with the Rams.
So, again, they are better here.
TE, both teams full of JAGs
Agreed. But, one group actually produces (yes, because of the coach)
O-line, we are better when healthy
Agreed.
So, out of those categories, the Rams are better in the overwhelming majority of the categories.
Most importantly, the HC/OC.
Kyren is not better than Bucky. But agree to disagree because they're both in the same tier of RB.
When you say they (WRs) aren't on other teams, they're on the rams... That is my point about scheme/coaching/situational talent.
The Rams (last year) were good because McVay turned Stafford back into an MVP with incredible coaching... And Stafford has the arm talent and short throw Drew Brees-like accuracy to make players like Adams and Puka (who are both top 15 talent) play like they are both top 5 talent.
Puka is Michael Thomas. It's a mirror image.
Rams are better than the Bucs in talent still, and especially even more now after these trades... But my overall point is the rosters are closer than it would appear based on record.
Because Bowles is fucking garbage
And McVay might be the best coach in the NFL... Certainly top 3.
The Rams are definitely ahead of the Bucs in talent but not that far ahead. For the Bucs they need a lot of their young talent to step up to keep pace or stay ahead of the Seahawks, Rams, 49ers, Eagles, Lions, Bears, Vikings, Panthers, Falcons, Cowboys and Commanders. The Saints, Cardinals and the Giants are not far behind either. The Bucs are definitely a tier 2 team while the Seahawks, 49ers and Rams are tier 1 teams.
i'd probably rank it like this
tier 1
1. Rams
2. Seahawks
3. Eagles
4. 49ers
tier 2
5. Detroit - expect a bounce back
6. Chicago
7. Green Bay
8. Tampa Bay
9. Dallas
10. Washington
Tier 3
11. Minnesota
12. Carolina
13. Giants
Tier 4
14. New Orleans
15. Atlanta
16. Arizona
It feels like the Bucs have been a tier 2 team flirting with tier 1 for a while now the last few seasons. I guess with the Rams picking up MG you could leap frog them over Seattle for now. The Eagles I am contemplating dropping them down to tier 2 to the recent trade of Brown. But they did pick up Woolen and Greenard so they should be a tier 2 team still.
The Vikings could ascend into tier 2 again and I think the Panthers are already there with their off season moves already. The Falcons and Saints should be considered a tier 3 teams now with what they showed toward the end of last season and the improvements they made this off season. The Giants I feel should not be a tier 3 team until Harbaugh has one more off season to sort out that roster because they have some big issues with their interior defensive line front right now. So I would bump the Giants down to tier 4 with the Cardinals.
Teams like Seattle and Eagles have won Superbowl's because of their roster. They had modern day Trent Dilfer's at QB. They will be contenders again. Usually you put defending champs at 1 and that division is tough with 49ers also being a tier 1 team, but Rams are offseason champs until proven otherwise.
i think tier 1 is pretty solid with only team i think able to break that barrier would be if Detroit rebounds to where they've been.
Tampa has been exciting to watch post Brady. You may recall we expected shit....so them contending for playoffs is if nothing else, at least entertaining. That being said, they are pretenders under Bowles. Their lone playoff win came against an Eagles team that was spiraling out of control and lost to double digit NYG and ARZ weeks before.
I agree that tier 2, 3 and 4 are fluid. any team can drop or increase but i feel their ceiling outside of DET is tier 2. Green Bay and Chicago talent isnt at the other teams and QB is hot and cold. Dallas held back by GM...but who knows with them. Was washington a fluke?
Dallas has a lot of talent on offense and that hasn't changed so much so that they can compete with the tier 1 teams. The problem is their defense but I think they have done enough to sneak into tier 1 again like they were a few years ago. If you compare their defensive front a year ago to now it is 100% a complete turnover. Williams, Ogbonnia and Clark is a strong starting trio.
Picking up Gary, Winters, Thompson and Durant to round out their defense. They drafted Downs and Lawrence in round 1 so they basically have remade that defense within 1.5 off season.
Jones picks up a lot of flack but he did was Roseman does pretty frequently and he is praised for it. That is why I am not quickly praising the AJ Brown trade for the Eagles for example because it is a 2028 first round which is basically a 2027 2nd rounder in value.
Are Wicks and Lemon enough to off set the loss of AJ Brown?
The last time a team moved AJ Brown to another team it caused a team to lose its offensive edge and to compete aka Titans an Vrabel. I think the Eagles are still a tier 1 team but they are flirting with tier 2 if things go wrong quickly.
For the Commanders they keep doing so much shuffling at the WR position outside of McLaurin that is difficult to gauge what they are trying to accomplish. Defensively they went out and threw out everything about their starting defense last year and started over with multiple free agents and added Sonny Styles in the middle of that defense.
The Commanders could ascend and stay in tier 1 if that defense pulls through.
The Rams TEs are low key underrated as a group. Parkinson, Higbee, Ferguson and Klare are notches better than Otton, Culp/Sharp, Durham and Kieft.
Kyren Williams is the most underrated north south runner in the NFL but he is ultra reliant on holes being opened up. Irving can make people miss and is better as a lateral runner.
Kyren is not better than Bucky. But agree to disagree because they're both in the same tier of RB.
I don't think there is a huge delta between the two, but I'd guess a clear majority of NFL GM's would take Williams over Irving.
What can you point to factually to say that is Irving better at than Williams?
Puka is Michael Thomas. It's a mirror image.
Not sure that is true, as Puka has a clear advantage in YPR. He is better than Thomas after the catch. But let's assume you're correct - what is wrong is being a Thomas clone? He's a multiple time All-Pro. Tampa does not have that guy. Advantage Rams.
Kyren is not better than Bucky. But agree to disagree because they're both in the same tier of RB.
I don't think there is a huge delta between the two, but I'd guess a clear majority of NFL GM's would take Williams over Irving.
What can you point to factually to say that is Irving better at than Williams?
Puka is Michael Thomas. It's a mirror image.
Not sure that is true, as Puka has a clear advantage in YPR. He is better than Thomas after the catch. But let's assume you're correct - what is wrong is being a Thomas clone? He's a multiple time All-Pro. Tampa does not have that guy. Advantage Rams.
Nothing wrong, just the product of a system and elite QB play. Puka is def good, as was Thomas. But they aren't the type of talent you can drop into any team and the continue top 5 production.
Re: Bucky and Kyren. Largely I'm using Bucky's sample size as a starter while healthy... Which is what, 9-12 games his rookie year? Bucky was an absolute game changer until last years Grizz-induced cluster fuck of an offense. Kyren is not a game changer despite playing in a superior system. So I guess I'm giving a bullshit cop out (eye ball test). But I view Bucky better as a receiving threat, better elusiveness, better vision.
Kyren has had some massive volume the last 2-3 years so those tires have some wear on them (and why Corum starting taking snaps) where as Bucky has always given snaps away to White, or last year Tucker being a goal line vulture.
As I said, same tier player and the health of Bucky will ultimately decide his fate.
Largely I'm using Bucky's sample size as a starter while healthy... Which is what, 9-12 games his rookie year?
Yeah its a tough comparison but to your point about playmaker I think Irving and Williams both have about 1200 yards rushing (+/-) in 2024 but is only 200 ish attempts for Irving versus Williams being over 300. Bucky was pretty electric
Nothing wrong, just the product of a system and elite QB play. Puka is def good, as was Thomas. But they aren't the type of talent you can drop into any team and the continue top 5 production.
You could say that of any WR. Devante Adams didn't forget how to play WR after Derek Carr left the Raiders, but his numbers dropped pretty significantly with Aidan O'Connell & Jimmy Garoppolo throwing him the ball. That was no coincidence.
Bucky and Kyren. Largely I'm using Bucky's sample size as a starter while healthy... Which is what, 9-12 games his rookie year?
Bucky started three games his rookie season and nine last season.
Bucky started three games his rookie
"White is RB1 . . .watch him run it again and again and again"
Largely I'm using Bucky's sample size as a starter while healthy... Which is what, 9-12 games his rookie year?
Yeah its a tough comparison but to your point about playmaker I think Irving and Williams both have about 1200 yards rushing (+/-) in 2024 but is only 200 ish attempts for Irving versus Williams being over 300. Bucky was pretty electric
there's no denying that Bucky was great his rookie year. So was Michael Clayton and Cadillac Williams.....
but the fact of the matter is, Williams has put up some pretty good numbers consistently the last 3 years
Bucky was irrelevant last year in the 10 games he played.
He is now banged up to start this year. Will he miss time? start on the PUP? who knows. Hopefully he is back.
We have high hopes for Bucky but to date, Williams is the better back. He is 25, Bucky is 23 and he has more tread on his tires. Bucky may very well end up being the better back in 2026....but not much of a competition as we sit here in June. We are just remembering the explosiveness of Bucky in 2024 so the potential is there....but would like him to show that 2024 was not a fluke.